Posts Tagged civil rights

That’s what America is. Not stock photos or airbrushed history, or feeble attempts to define some of us as more American than others. We respect the past, but we don’t pine for the past. We don’t fear the future; we grab for it. America is not some fragile thing. We are large, in the words of Whitman, containing multitudes. We are boisterous and diverse and full of energy, perpetually young in spirit. That’s why someone like John Lewis at the ripe old age of 25 could lead a mighty march.

And that’s what the young people here today and listening all across the country must take away from this day. You are America. Unconstrained by habit and convention. Unencumbered by what ...

That’s what America is. Not stock photos or airbrushed history, or feeble attempts to define some of us as more American than others. We respect the past, but we don’t pine for the past. We don’t fear ...

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Rosa Parks. On Dec. 1, 1955, Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama, leading to a a 13-month boycott of the Montgomery bus system that would help spark the civil rights movement. Today, the U.S. Postal Service issued a Rosa Parks stamp in her honor.

Check out this great Democracy Nowspecial on Parks. Transcript after the jump.

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Rosa Parks. On Dec. 1, 1955, Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama, leading to a ...

Voter registration deadlines nationwide are fast approaching and the Obama campaign as well as 1,000 other organizations, including Facebook, Google, and Rolling Stone Magazine are making a major push online and off to register as many people as possible for the upcoming election. Below you will find a form to register to vote, if you haven’t already, and that you can pass along to family and friends via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or even email to get everyone engaged in one of their most important duties as a citizen.

Early voting has already begun in some states and GottaVote.com is also an invaluable resource that has all of the relevant information and is worth checking in case you live ...

While the Obama administration continues to flip-flop on the question of same-sex marrage, North Carolina gives us good reminder why we are in desperate need of leaders that take a stand on supporting full rights same-sex couples. North Carolina is slated to vote on an amendment that would essentially ban same-sex marriage along with civil unions. North Carolina is the only state in the region that does not have an all out ban–but same-sex marriage is still illegal through statute. This law would merely make it even harder to repeal, banning marriage and denying certain rights including family protection, health insurance, etc.

While the Obama administration continues to flip-flop on the question of same-sex marrage, North Carolina gives us good reminder why we are in desperate need of leaders that take a stand on supporting full rights same-sex couples. ...

President Barack Obama’s recent decision to not veto a controversial defense spending bill is troubling to many advocates for civil rights, human rights and the rule of law. The House of Representatives voted to pass the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a bill that contains harmful provisions that some legislators have said could authorize the U.S. military to pick up and imprison without charge or trial civilians, including American citizens, anywhere in the world.

The defense spending bill codifies indefinite detention without trial into US law and further expands the military’s role in holding terrorism suspects. Earlier, the Obama administration had threatened to veto the 2012 NDAA over these controversial detainee provisions, but on December 14, it issued ...

President Barack Obama’s recent decision to not veto a controversial defense spending bill is troubling to many advocates for civil rights, human rights and the rule of law. The House of Representatives voted to pass the ...

On April 19, 1965, a special guest came over to my mother’s house for dinner. My mom celebrated her 10th birthday on this day. All of her 5 siblings and cousins were excited for the special dinner guest. No one seemed to be as excited as my mom that she was officially double digits! The special dinner guest stepped through the front door and approached my mom to hand her a crisp $1 dollar bill for her birthday. The family then went into the dining room for a delicious meal of meatloaf and mashed potatoes. My mom looked at the man strangely as he motioned to put ketchup (yes ketchup) on his mashed potatoes. ...

On April 19, 1965, a special guest came over to my mother’s house for dinner. My mom celebrated her 10th birthday on this day. All of her 5 siblings and cousins were excited for the ...

On this day in 1968, 43 years ago, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., was murdered at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn. He was just 39.

Also today, the new Malcolm X biography is being released. Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention, has caused quite a stir, and even moreso after the death of the author and Columbia University professor Manning Marable, who considered redefining the legacy of Malcolm X to be his life’s work. His biography seems to be poised to do just that: it contains claims that would drastically change our historical understanding of the man, including the claim that two of his assassins are alive and well ...

On this day in 1968, 43 years ago, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., was murdered at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn. He was just 39.